Winter Grazing Plan

139ha
Brookhaven Total Wintering Area:
139ha
Maximum Annual Winter Grazing Area:
4ha
2023 Brookhaven Wintering Area:
One paddock at 4ha
Winter Grazing Description:
Winter Grazing on fodder beet and rape for mixed age dairy cows, dry stock and young stock.

Holcim Lease Block

Address

Bobbing Creek Road Queens Flat

Legal Description

LOT 9 DP 1415 PT ALLOTS 1 3 DP 2233 PTS LOT 1 LOT 3 DP 2233 LOT 1 DP 18150 LOTS 2 3 DP 342316 LOTS 1 2 DP 401373 SECS 62-64 BLK VI SEC 37 BLK VII AWAMOKO SD

Farm Owner

Holcim (New Zealand) Ltd

PO Box 6040,
Upper Riccarton,
Christchurch 8442

Farm Description:
Dry land dairy run-off block.

Holcim Block Farm Area:

237ha
Holcim Block Total Wintering Area:
237ha
Maximum Annual Winter Grazing Area:
15ha
2023 Holcim Block Wintering Area:
Two paddocks totalling 15ha.
Winter Grazing Description:
Winter Grazing on fodder beet and rape for mixed age dairy cows, dry stock and young stock.

Five Forks

Address

1101 Kakanui Valley Road

Incholme

Legal Description

SEC 72A KAURU HILL SETTLEMENT

Farm Owner

Waimarie Holdings Ltd

419 Tilverstowe Road, RD 7C, Oamaru 9491

Farm Description:
Irrigated dairy run-off block.

Five Forks Block Farm Area:

154ha
Five Forks Block Total Wintering Area:
154ha

Maximum Annual Winter Grazing Area:
20ha
2023 Five Forks Block Wintering Area:
Three paddocks totalling 19ha

Winter Grazing Description:
Winter Grazing on fodder beet and rape for mixed age dairy cows, dry stock and young stock.

Critical Source Area Management

Critical Source Areas are areas that collect surface water and can transport nutrients to waterways or groundwater. Critical Source Areas (CSA's) are marked on the Winter Grazing maps.

Winter grazing does not occur in CSA's in wet conditions from 1 May to 30 September each year - these areas are left in grass, and upper reaches grazed while dry or lifted rather than grazed.
The only CSA's grazed are swales within the paddock which have grass buffers before reaching waterways. A CSA is dry enough to graze if no pugging results. However, where no alternative exists to feed stock it may be considered dry enough if there is no surface water in it at the time, it only runs in the rain, and any resulting pugging is no more than ankle deep on average. However, wherever possible CSA's should be grazed where there is no pugging resulting at all.
Stock are excluded from CSA's with a buffer of 5m, or up to 20m if steep. These buffers may be in a grass paddock lower down the CSA and may be supplemented by a temporary bale detention bund.
Bales are placed on higher areas of crop paddocks away from CSA's in areas where tractors can safely access.
Slopes are grazed top to bottom toward CSA's and waterways if possible.
Winter grazing does not occur within 5m of any waterway, or 100m of a water abstraction point. Any crop in these areas is lifted.
Backfences are used to protect previously grazed areas and they are replanted as early as practicable.
Crops are sown along the contour where safe to do so.

Wet Weather Planning and Animal Welfare

During wet weather when the paddock is becoming pugged beyond ankle height stock are run off to a sacrifice paddock with a large break to minimise damage and this is typically next years crop paddock.
Pugged paddocks are renovated with full cultivation back to grass including ripping if necessary.
Stock are given extra feed in wet, snowy or cold conditions.
Bale positions are moved daily to leave straw beds for stock to lie on.
Cows are scanned and drafted into early, mid and late calvers so springers can be moved onto grass paddocks ahead of calving.
Stock are consciously monitored daily for animal health issues such as acidosis, lameness, mastitis, condition loss, slowness, bagging up or calving. These animals are monitored, treated and separated as required.
Transition typically begins with 30 minutes on the first week from first cow on to last cow off and increases 15 minutes increments.
Mob sizes are restricted to 300 maximum during winter to limit competition and pressure on paddocks, cows and staff in difficult conditions. Milking mobs grazing on/off can be 400.
A feed budget is used based on square metres and crop residual is monitored.

Winter Grazing Paddock Plans 2024

Overview

Waimarie Paddocks

Paddocks on ridges with grazing towards waterway with minimum 5m buffer to separate crop from the waterway.

Paddock 7 is located on a ridge line.
Various CSA's originate in Paddock 7. They run through 1000m of grass to a tributary of the Awamoko Stream.
An irrigation pond surrounded by rank growth is located at the bottom of the slope in Paddock 7. Grazing direction is towards the pond.

Holcim Block Paddocks

Paddocks are ridgeline paddocks grazing toward the CSA's except the Paterson Rd paddock which grazes towards the creek.

These are ridgeline paddocks grazing down hill toward CSA's and waterways with grass buffers.

Five Forks Paddocks

The main CSA through these paddocks runs 591m over grass to the Kauru River.
A smaller CSA is in the "last bite" section of the flat bottom paddock which is 180m to the Kauru River.

These paddocks are grazed downhill towards either the roadside ditch which is 1,838m from the Kauru River, or down a CSA which originates in the paddocks and flows 1,689m through grass toward the Kauru River.